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You wanna get me out my polo shirt?
So goes a saucy lyric from the new Kim Petras song “Polo,” an ode to the unlikely allure of a classic polo shirt. “I got them alligators left and right, my Ralph Lauren, tight and teeny,” she sings, nodding to styles by Lacoste and Lauren—two purveyors of the enduring collared tee.
First designed as a practical tennis shirt in the 1920s, the polo has since become an everyday fashion staple—and now, even an unexpected sex symbol. After all, it’s not only Petras making the case for it: a number of modern-day heartthrobs have been slipping into polos lately, cementing them as a summer must-have.
Long gone are the days of polos feeling like your local IT guy’s uniform: These new ones are worn fitted or cropped and extra-tight—all the better for showing off your pectoralis muscles.
At the spring 2026 menswear shows back in June, hunks like Manu Rios and Benito Skinner wore their polos in peppy shades of pink (Rios) or black and sheer (Skinner). Compared to the heyday of polo shirts in the 1990s and 2000s, when the members of Boyz II Men and other stars rocked striped polos with baggy jeans—also see the entire cast of Jersey Shore and their popped collars—the new iteration of polos feels different. They still have that sporty spirit, sure, but the details (widened sleeves! Transparent fabrics!) make them feel elevated.
We also saw a ton of polos pop up on the spring 2026 runways themselves. At No. 21, a striped polo was tucked into a baggy pair of jorts with exposed boxer-briefs (very dirtbag-chic). At Comme des Garçons, the polos—made in collaboration with Fred Perry, an enduring master of the style—came in preppy color-blocked, checkerboard prints. These are pieces you can envision both the skater bros and fashion gays embracing. There is beauty in this new duality.
It doesn’t take a genius to understand the appeal of a good polo, either. As Rihanna has proven with her styling approach (see below), you don’t need to pair it with much besides a great pair of jeans and a cool shoe (hers, a pointed snakeskin pump) to suddenly have a statement look that is also extremely wearable.
#Summer #Classic #Polo #Shirt #Rethink
